One Week at a Time: Planner Layout

Good morning friends! Grab a cup of coffee and settle in for a few minutes to enjoy my planner newbieness. Yes, I’m a planner virgin. This is the first layout I’ve created and shared. I don’t know if I’m doing it right, wrong, or plain crazy, but as with most things I try, I’m doing it.

I want to be a great planner person so I appreciate any thoughts from those with more experience. Bring it on. Choosing a planner is difficult, there are so many out there. They range from fully customizable (no dates, etc) to a little customizable. It all depends on what you like. Nani Ke Ola carries almost all of the Marion Smith planner supplies, which you can take a look at here.

I purchased the new Marion Smith teal “Heart of Gold” A5 planner from NKO last fall along with the stamp block and stamp sets. There are three stamp sets and typically NKO has them all. The stamps are sized perfectly for the Heart of Gold planner. The stamp block is also the perfect partner for the planner. It’s small yet big enough for all the stamps in the sets and is thin so it fits in the pocket of the planner or can be put though the rings of your planner since it has a hole drilled in the upper corner. I also used some planner stickers and of course, washi tape. I love washi and it works well in planner layouts.

What drew me to this planner? Well, several things actually. First, I wanted to try a fully customizable planner. Heart of Gold is just that since all the inserts are blank. This means you can buy and begin your planner whenever you wish. You are fully in control. I also like the quality of the planner and the variety of the inserts. One of the neat things about the MS planner inserts are the spare pages including the daily detail, ledger pages, pen swatch pages, washi swatches pages, and journaling pages to name a few.

The paper is thick and has a lushness that I’ve not seen in other planners. It was this lushness that had me skeptical whether my new FriXion pens (supposedly the PERFECT, never smudges, planner pen) would work. Below is my test of the FriXion pens, which was a resounding success on the inserts!

My weeks are typically in flux with many changes as the week goes, but I still write in pen because I don’t want to erase what I’d planned to do, I will strike through (if it is cancelled or postponed indefinitely) or make note to when it is being moved.

I use the heart grid to track weekly water consumption. I also track this in my FitBit, but I find tracking it on paper is also satisfying.

I can’t wait so read your thoughts on my first planner layout. Until then, remember, creativity and imperfection live together in all we do. “Grace is the face love wears when it meets imperfection.”